Page 78 of Timeless

“I know you will be fine. Because I’m going to make sure of it.”

Her eyes flashed up to mine. “We aren’t a couple.”

I moved my hand off her cheek and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’ve broken you, Amber. Again. Remember when you came back from England and you said you were heartless?”

She slowly nodded.

“We got through that.” She was depressed then. I didn’t see it. But as her life went on, the depression got worse because of me. Now I was going to make sure she got the treatment she had been avoiding getting.

“We were a couple then.” She went to pull her hand from mine and I held onto tighter. “Jax, we aren’t a couple.”

“I love you, Amber. Always have always will. I’m not expecting you to love me back. But I want you to let me take care of you and Jack.” My hand lingered on the side of her face, while my other held her hand tightly. “Let me put you back together.”

“I’m not a broken doll, Jax.” She rolled her eyes. “I get sad sometimes. Nothing wrong with that. God. It’s not like it gets in the way of me caring for Jack. It’s nothing.”

“Sweetheart. Not getting out of bed for a week isn’t nothing. You saying you aren’t important in anyone’s life isn’t nothing. You thinking everyone would be better off without you isn’t nothing.”

She stared into my eyes. I was serious right now. But I don’t think she realized how serious.

“I’m taking care of you and Jack. You have done a great fucking job. But now it’s my turn to help you.” I leaned into the car and unclipped her seat belt. “Come on out.”

“Jax.” She looked at me, like my behavior was unexplainable. “I’m not expecting you to take care of me or Jack. We are fine. Have a role in his life, sure, but you don’t have to take on me. Jack and I aren’t a package deal.”

“I want both of you in my life.”

“Again, I’m telling you, we aren’t a package deal.”

I brought the back of her hand to my lips, kissing it. “You are the woman I love, and you have given me a son. I’m not viewing you as a package deal. I don’t know if you remember this but I lost my mind when you decided you were leaving my life earlier.” I looked up at her, trying to make light of my reaction to her. “I just want you and Jack, that’s it.”

“Until you decide I’m better off without you.” She gave me a challenging look. “Until you get yourself locked up again. Because, let’s face it, your criminal record is only starting. I can’t wake up to you being in prison again, then going to see you, to get told you want me gone, like I’m nothing.”

She pulled on her hand, trying to break free of me. She was getting upset.

“Amber, I’m never letting go of you again.”

She scoffed. “You said that the night I got back from England. A year later, that is exactly what you did!”

“Amber, calm down.” My hand spread across her cheek, keeping her eyes on me. “I’m not going back to prison. No matter what shit I get caught up in.”

“You don’t know that. You can’t say you won’t get caught!”

“I was never caught to begin with. I handed myself in. Believe it or not, Amber, I don’t advertise my crimes. I’ve got good measures in place now, limiting the chance I’ll never head back to prison.”

“You were caught when you were in your teenage years, Jax! Hell, you were on parole when we met. You can’t honestly tell me you will never head back to prison.” She was giving me a look I had missed. That stubborn look.

I smiled. “You are right. I was on parole when we met. But I’m not lying when I say I have good measures in place so I’ll never end up like my father. There is only one thing that would get me locked back up.”

She scoffed. “Let me guess, if your club needs you inside.” She shook her head. “Club always comes first. Never expected that to change.”

“No. I’ll only go back in if it keeps you out of prison.”

Her head snapped to me. “You aren’t serious.”

I shrugged. “Yep.”

“You can’t keep taking reasonability for my crimes!”

“You really don’t want me to go back to prison?”

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